Deputy Broughan has today welcomed Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris’s restructuring plans, as long as the focus remains on increasing the community policing teams as reported. The proposal to put up to an additional 1,800 Gardaí on the streets (between new recruits and Gardaí available for frontline duties) is especially welcome and hopefully the Garda DMR North division will receive a significant portion of that allocation of Garda personnel. Reacting to today’s news of the proposed reduction in garda divisions from 28 to 19 and regions from 6 to 4, Deputy Broughan also re-iterated his call for the new Divisional Headquarters for Dublin Metropolitan Region North to be located in the North Fringe. Deputy Broughan has been calling for a new Garda Station for the Clongriffin/Belmayne area and has asked the Garda Commissioner to consider building the new HQ in the North Fringe of his constituency in Dublin Bay North.

Deputy Broughan has raised the increasing instances of anti-social, criminal and dangerous behaviour in some of the areas in his constituency with the Taoiseach, the Minister for Justice and Equality, with the Garda Commissioner directly, with local Superintendents and with Local Authorities. He has been calling for all possible supports and resources for the organisations and stakeholders in the communities and has also called for a Mulvey-type report and Implementation Group, as was established for the North Inner City. Most recently, on the 3rd of July, Deputy Broughan raised the matter during Leaders’ Questions.

Of course, Deputy Broughan has also done significant work on the enforcement of road safety legislation and has called for increased resources and personnel for the Roads Policing Unit (previously the Traffic Corp) to bring the unit back to its pre-crash sized workforce. He also agrees that rural communities must not be adversely impacted by these proposed changes.

Deputy Broughan says “It is very welcome to see that Garda Commissioner Harris is moving towards a new Operating Model for An Garda Síochána with a major emphasis on frontline community policing. Minister Flanagan and Taoiseach Varadkar must also now urgently publish the long-promised Policing and Community Safety Bill and ensure its swift passage through the Oireachtas.”